Etna High senior runner John Whelan has recently signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in cross country and track and field at Pac-12 school Washington State.

Whelan is considered one of the top runners in the state. Last November, Whelan took second overall in state in Division 5 at the CIF Cross Country Championships in Fresno. He also is considered a top runner in the distance events in track and field.

Last spring, in the 3,200 meter race, he took second overall in the Northern Section Championships.. He is set to compete for the Lions this spring again in track and field. At this time, the Lions first meet is on March 12 in Yreka.

Whelan is also a 4.0 student and plans to study engineering in college

Below, John answers a few questions about signing a letter of intent with the Cougars.

John, I heard you have picked Washington State over Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Could you tell me a bit about the process, such as visiting the two campuses and meeting the coaches and how you came to your decision. What was it about Washington State that appealed to you?

Cal Poly and WSU were the only schools I took official visits to, which is essentially a recruiting trip paid by the athletics department. At both places I stayed on campus for a few days while a current student-athlete on the team showed me around campus and the towns.

It is basically spending a lot of time with the team, getting an idea of what a day in life at the college is like. It was a hard decision, but I liked the combination of factors at WSU just a little more. I really loved everything there: the team chemistry, the school, the town and area.

It's a major university in a small rural town, which was a perfect fit for me. Plus, I get to experience the highest level of NCAA competition by being in the PAC-12 Conference. The distance team there is a program on the rise. They won two individual events at there conference championships for indoor track last weekend, and our goal next cross country season is to qualify for the NCAA cross country nationals.

Also, what sort of scholarship or athletic package did you get offered.

At WSU I am receiving 15 percent for athletics, 20 percent for academics -bringing the total costs down to the cost of a California State University. There is the possibility of receiving more merit aid still, and the athletic aid can increase in subsequent years if I run well there. WSU was not my cheapest option, but I took a financial leap of faith to go where I wanted to the most.

What is it about engineering that appeals to you?

Page 2 of 2 - I like math and science, how things work, and solving problems. These are basically what engineering is.

Once you graduate from college what are your career plans at this time?

Go into a career in mechanical engineering

Can you tell me a bit about your upcoming track and field season at Etna High. What events are you competing in and what are your goals for the season.

I'll be running all the distance events, with a focus on the 3200 meter race. My main goals are to lead my team to another league and division title, set some PR's along the way, and qualify to state in the 3200m and see what I can do there. We should have strong teams again, with a lot of younger athletes that can add a lot to our team — both this year and for many seasons to come.